I Could Be the One
by Supreme Distraction
Summary: "You two were so close…" Zelda tilted her head, dark eyes curious. She had attended the academy as well, of course, and she had been one of the few princesses that had approached the scared, lonely protector of the stars. "What happened?" It was a long story.


Hullo and welcome to yet another bout of fluffy feelings. Tissues will be administered after the proceedings.

Thanks go to **GrimGrave **for beta-ing this :3

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Super Smash Brothers or the characters shown herein. _I Could Be the One _is property of Avicii

**-I Could Be the One-**

The _Smash Bro's_ Arena was more than just a place to fight, it was also a place to live, a gym, a resort, and a shopping centre—a miniature world all on its own. It also had its own trans-dimensional central station through which hundreds of space crafts, carriages, race cars, four-wheelers, and all other manner of vehicle passed through at varying hours of the day—rain or shine—in order to supply the sprawling facility with fighters and spectators alike.

The latter arrived in droves, excited, smiling faces peering around the well-lit platform at the stands selling food and memorabilia, the other guests, and, most importantly, the huge commotion that occurred when a new brawler arrived on the side of the platform reserved for current and future residents of the _Smash Bro's _decadent living quarters.

The former, well…

"Stand aside, stand aside!" the burly security guards flanking the whirling vortex that lead to the Comet Observatory bellowed. It burned brightly, like a star, and out sped a small, sleek space ship with a glowing tail like a comet. The craft did a few circuits around the resident platform, gaining 'ooh's and 'aah's from the milling crowd below, before settling onto the flat, tiled surface, its propulsion systems shutting down with a low hum.

_Smash Bro's _Central Station actually went quiet, the onlookers jostling each other in an attempt to see the cockpit door open to reveal a slim woman with spiky blonde hair, a sweeping bang covering her left eye, in a baby blue gown and silver tiara. She stumbled as she stepped out of the ship, drawing murmurs from the assembled civilians, but a bright ball of starlight bounced out of the cockpit and ducked under her arm to steady her, chirruping pleasantly; the light faded to reveal a pudgy star-shaped creature with beady, smiling eyes.

All at once, fireworks lit up the darkening sky, banners of neon reading, **"Welcome, Miss Rosalina, to the Smash Bro's Tournament!" **and the crowd released a roar of approval.

The girl, Rosalina, grinned, waving primly and curtsying to her newfound fans.

She only hoped her living mates would be half as welcoming.

* * *

The glass-walled elevator came to a halt with a light-hearted chime and the doors slid open so that Rosalina could step out into the common room—a half-kitchen, half-living room well-furnished with plush leather sofas, a flat screen and shiny chrome appliances with a bay window affording a view of whatever one chose via a series of dials on a console next to it. There were three hallways leading out from it to the left, right, and front, and the ash blonde headed to the right, following the corridor to…

Pink?

The room of whomever was to be her housemate was shades of pastel pink and crème. Gossamer white fabric hung on either side of each window (outside of which there was a beautiful garden with brightly coloured flowers and fragrant fruit-bearing trees) and the cool tile beneath her feet was marble. The bed sitting in the middle of the room was what drew her attention, however: a queen-sized, plush mattress covered with bright pink sheets resting on elegantly curled wrought iron frame that had been plated with gold. There was a giant pile of pillows and brightly coloured plushies piled onto its surface—to the point that Rosalina had to wonder if anyone even had room to sleep on it.

It was all very… Princess-like.

'_Wait…'_

A memory tickled at the back of her mind and she furrowed her brow, falling completely still as she tried to grasp at the delicate, shining strands of thought.

"Prr?"

She jumped, smiling reassuringly at her partner. "I'm fine, Luma, don't worry."

"Prr…"

The young woman turned to leave the room, only to pause mid-step, cyan orbs alighting on a photo sitting on the vanity next to the walk-in closet across the room: a blonde girl in a pink ball gown smiling brightly next to a girl with auburn hair in an orange dress of matching style.

'_That's…'_

/_ "I can't do it."_

"_You can. Trust me."_

_Peach huffed, but got to her feet again, teetering slightly as she attempted to keep her balance. Between the weight and dimensions of the cloth she was wearing and the length of the heels she was wearing, it was quite a task._

"_Wonderful! You look stunning."_

_That smile was as radiant as the stars. "Not as stunning as you." /_

There was the sound of a lock clicking open and Rosalina whirled, hurrying into the room. She knew that face…

The door seemed to open in slow motion and the protector of the cosmos's breath caught in her throat as the person on the other side stepped into the foyer.

"Peach…?"

Cerulean orbs widened. "R-Rosalina?"

She had never seen a princess move so quickly before and all she saw was the hem of Peach's dress as she ran passed, towards her room.

…

_Knock, knock._

No response.

_Knock, knock._

It felt as though she had been waiting by the other blonde's closed door forever.

"Peach…" _'Please…_

"… Please go away." It was said so quietly that it took Rosalina a moment to realize that it had been addressed to her.

"I—"

A loud series of knocks came from the front door and the blonde sighed before going to answer it.

…

The moment the front door opened, a tall, imposing woman clad in a skin-tight cat suit pushed passed her. Azure orbs flicked impassively over the new resident before moving to the center of the room. "Where is she?"

Rosalina gaped, unable to believe how rude this sudden intruder was being. "Pardon?"

Blink. "Peach. She kept ringing my goddamned communicator—is she in trouble?"

A crushing, sinking sensation beneath her breast made the young woman sway and her visitor quickly stepped forward to steady her, emotion—concern—showing on her lovely face for a brief moment before it was locked away beneath that cool façade. "Are you okay, Miss…"

"Rosalina." She closed her eyes, leaning on the other woman for support. "I'm sorry, I—"

"I was rude." Curt, businesslike. The woman clearly wasn't used to apologizing and had no intention of doing so. "You must be new here. I'm Samus Aran."

"Pleased to meet you," she said weakly, finally pulling herself together and straightening up. "Peach is…" That twinge of pain beneath her breast made her bite her lip, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. "Peach is in her room."

* * *

"Rosalina?"

Why… Was her heart racing? She must have fallen asleep after that imposing woma—_Samus _had cajoled her way into Peach's room. Inter-universal travel had proven to be rather tiring.

Her room was a comforting shade of baby blue—like the sky when the sun was at its highest point—and the bed was so soft it felt as though she was falling through clouds.

She would know—the sky, no, _the stars_ were her home.

"I've never seen Peach so upset before." The bounty hunter crossed her arms over her chest. "She refused to talk about you, but it's clear that you've got history. Care to brief me?"

"…" Inhale. Calm. Samus gave her a reassuring smile (the totally unexpected expression magnifying her beauty) "All princesses are required to attend the Princess Academy at some point or another before their coronation. Though I am not technically a princess, I was allowed to attend as a special case due to my position as head of the Comet Observatory. That's where I met Peach."

_Do you think about me when you're all alone?_

Rosalina yawned and rubbed her eyes, drawing her robe around her shoulders as she walked into the kitchen, only to stop dead as she registered the person sitting at the marble counter.

"Peach…"

The princess's eyes were red-rimmed, though there was no sign of weakness in the mask of ice that suddenly rendered her expression blank. She must have been spending a lot of time around Samus.

_/ "A princess must be calm, cool, and in control in the face of peril." /_

Was she really at peril here? The thought made her heart hurt.

"Good morning," she said stiffly, lifting a teacup delicately to pink-painted lips. Before Rosalina could even think to respond, she rose. "I was on my way out. Have a good day."

As the long-haired blonde walked by, the keeper of the stars reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "Wait…"

"I have nothing to say to you."

And then, she was alone.

_The things we used to do—we used to be?_

_/ "I'm Peach. Pleased to meet you!"_

_Rosalina hesitated, fidgeting anxiously. She had been playing the lone wolf for the last two weeks, so this interaction left her feeling both nervous and excited. "Hello…"_

'_Peach,' as she was called, blinked. "Why are you all by yourself?_

_A shrug. "I'm used to it."_

_The younger girl plopped down beside her, the ends of long, flaxen waves brushing against her arm. "That's so sad…"_

_Yeah… It really was. /_

"You two were so close…" Zelda tilted her head, dark eyes curious. She had attended the academy as well, of course, and she had been one of the few princesses that had approached the scared, lonely protector of the stars. "What happened?"

The Hylian monarch had come to call as soon as the bounty hunter had informed her that Rosalina was living here. The blonde wasn't ungrateful for the company, but she really wasn't in the mood to be interrogated.

"It's a long story."

She chuckled. "I have been told that I am a rather good listener."

"…"

_/ Rosalina hurried down the stairs from the massive foyer that housed the sweeping grand staircase leading up to the Observatory where she kept watch over the millions of twinkling lights that made up her domain._

_It wasn't often that she got company and she was shocked to see that this visitor wasn't the space-suit wearing Italian man who had first stumbled upon her home a few days prior._

_She was even more shocked that she recognized the blonde woman slumped against the grassy knoll leading up to the Comet Observatory's central-most dome._

"_It's you…" The ash blonde hurried to her friend's side, stooping so that she could help the younger woman to her feet. "Peach, how did you get here?"_

"_Bowser." She frowned minutely and rubbed her temple. "That silly turtle has gone too far this time."_

"_I've heard that name before… From—"_

"_A short, pudgy man in overalls?"_

"_That's the one!"_

_They shared a laugh. _

"_I'm sure he'll be back soon," Rosalina assured her, once their mirth had faded. "In the meanwhile, how about we catch up?"_

"_I'd like that." /_

Rosalina brandished her wand and Luma appeared next to her, chirruping and bouncing excitedly. As the woman whirled, he moved with her, swiping the mechanical droids that acted as their enemies off their feet and pulling them inward with all the gravitational pull of a black hole.

As long as she kept on moving, she wouldn't think about the blonde girl one holographic training room over.

_/Luma was being particularly playful and his caretaker chased after him, the silky fabric of her dress clutched in her hands so as to avoid tripping over its hem. _

"_Luma!" She rounded a corner, following the bright ball of light, and crashed into her houseguest, knocking the other girl to the ground. They were still for a moment, trying to regain their bearings. "Oh… I'm sorry."_

_Peach chuckled. "It's okay. Were you chasing this little one?"_

_It was then that Rosalina noticed that the princess was hugging a miniature, purring star to her breast._

"_Oh, Luma… What am I going to do with you?"_

"_Prr!"_

_She smiled helplessly and looked up at Peach for guidance…_

_Only to realize that their faces were far too close._

_Ba-bump._

"_Um…"_

_Cerulean orbs were heavy-lidded, a small smile curving the edges of full, pouty lips. "Mm?"_

_It was strange, but… She really wanted to close the distance between them._

_And, before she even fully registered the desire, she was in motion, leaning in and pressing their lips together. The brief, chaste contact made her heart skip a beat._

_When she straightened, cheeks flaming, Peach's expression was stunned._

_Then, a goofy grin spread across her face. /_

"You seem better." That comment was the closest thing to concern that she would get from Samus—she knew that now.

It had been two weeks since she had arrived at the _Super Smash Bros Arena _and she had gotten to know the incredible warrior.

"Yes."

The blonde bounty hunter blinked, her brow furrowing slightly. "What about Peach?"

The mere mention of the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom hurt.

"I don't know."

_/ The next day, the younger girl was sick. Fever, tremors, nausea—sick._

_Rosalina remained by her side the entire time, her heart in her throat as she played caretaker. _

"_Hey…" Peach smiled bravely, though she was pale as a sheet. "I'm going to be okay."_

"…"

_She cared so much it hurt… /_

_I could be the one to make you feel that way…_

"Stay out of my way."

Right… They were on the same team, but they were far from friendly.

Rosalina nodded curtly and turned her back on her roommate, a little thrill running through her at the blonde's sudden, curious state of agitation.

Good. It was about time she forgot Peach.

_/ The ash blonde had retreated to the highest dome of the Observatory—her study—and was staring out at the twinkling stars, though she didn't really see them._

_No, her thoughts were elsewhere._

_Peach wasn't getting any better. _

…

"_She can't stay here…"_

"_Prr?"_

"_Peach. She belongs on the Planet. She can't handle the atmosphere of the Galaxy."_

"_Prr…" _

"_It's for her own good, Luma." Rosalina sighed, though she forced a smile for her adorable companion. "I'm going to send her back."_

_There was a crash: Peach had entered the room with a tray and a tea set, the latter of which now lay in porcelain fragments on the tiled floor of the Observatory._

"_What?"_

_The betrayal in cerulean orbs was like a slap across the face. Still, the taller blonde averted her gaze and whispered, "I think it's time for you to go."_

_The echo of rushed, fleeing footsteps was the last thing she would hear from Peach for a long, long time. _

_A decade to be exact. /_

Rosalina started awake, sitting up abruptly and pressing a hand to her breast in an attempt to calm her stuttering heart.

Perhaps forgetting Peach was out of the question.

_I could be the one to set you free._

_/ Mario had come in and swept a reluctant Peach away to return her to her rightful place on the throne._

_Which meant Rosalina was alone. Again._

_Tears stung bright blue eyes and the young woman bit her lip._

_It wasn't fair._

_The princess had refused to say goodbye, her expression stony as she was lead past the guardian and her flock of Luma._

_It was only when she was about to climb into the little rocket ship the plumber had commandeered to fetch her that the blonde hesitated._

_She had begged the older woman to come back to the Planet, but they both knew that that couldn't happen. The stars—the Luma—needed her._

_Cyan met cerulean in that brief instant and Rosalina felt her stomach sink when Peach pursed her lips and climbed into the vessel._

_It just wasn't fair… Mario was Peach's hero, but who would save the celestial guardian? /_

_Do you think about me when the crowd is gone?_

It was a bit late for a workout, but Rosalina found that she couldn't fall asleep unless she was utterly exhausted.

She ran laps, hit the punching bag, shot blasts of celestial energy across the spacious room—anything to burn energy.

After about an hour, the young woman headed to the showers, her brow dripping with sweat and her muscles sore.

Oddly enough, there was a light at the end of the hallway leading to the showers… Who in the world could be up at this hour?

Peach was the last person she had expected to see and the protector of the Galaxy hesitated, cyan orbs raking over a pale, slim figure.

'_Beautiful…'_

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Rosalina cleared her throat to announce her presence. "Good evening."

The princess flinched, as expected, and her expression was wary. "Good evening…"

They washed themselves in silence.

_It used to be so easy—you and me_

_/ The Comet Observatory possessed the most powerful telescopes in the entire universe and, currently, it wasn't being used to spot new Galaxies or disturbances in the cosmos. No, the lens was fixed firmly on a lush green planet inhabited by mushroom-headed creatures, though Rosalina wasn't looking through it at that very moment._

_She was slumped in a plush, high-backed chair fiddling with the star-shaped brooch around her throat._

_It had been almost a year since she had seen—_

_There was a soft knock at the door to her study and the blonde jumped. She hadn't sensed any visitors… How was it possible that one was knocking on her door?_

"_Come in." There was no crime here among the stars, no need to lock doors or fear intrusion. Mostly, it was quiet._

_Lonely._

_The door opened a crack and the person to enter her study was none other than… Princess Peach._

_She gasped. "Y-you shouldn't be here."_

_The blonde shook her head. "I had to see you."_

"…"

_Without another word, the ash blonde rushed across the room and through her arms around the other girl. _

_Wet warmth dripped onto her collarbone and she tightened her grip on the young princess, desperately trying to reign in her own emotions._

_She had to be strong. For Peach. /_

Rosalina released a grunt of pain as she hit the cement, her rear smarting, though the real damage was to her pride.

That wretched pink creature wouldn't defeat her.

A shadow eclipsed the sun and she squinted towards the sky: Peach was floating gently to the ground, the white parasol gripped in her hand slowing her descent. She landed in front of her ally and picked up a huge sledgehammer from the ground, swinging it the moment Kirby lunged forward and rendering him a twinkle in the horizon.

She smirked, turning to face the other young woman. "You looked like you needed some help." Her tone was startlingly playful considering the cold shoulder she had been giving the older girl had been receiving for almost a month.

"Thank you…"

The ash-blonde accepted the helping hand she was offered, the contact between their skin sending a spark of warmth along her arm.

_I could be the one to make you feel that way…_

This celebratory party was a good idea. All of the brawlers—even those on the losing team—were in high spirits, laughing and talking loudly amongst themselves as they ate food and drank aplenty.

"Great party, Princess." A handsome, regally-dressed young man with royal blue hair smiled charmingly and bowed, kissing the back of the blonde's hand. "You look wonderful."

He hadn't been the first male to pay her attention and Rosalina clenched her hands into fists, her expression becoming glacial. She too had been complimented and courted, but their attention meant nothing to her.

There was only one pair of eyes she wanted fixed on her and they had been pointedly avoiding her all night.

It was late by the time the partiers filed out, bidding their hostesses goodnight, leaving Samus, Zelda, Peach, and Rosalina to the messy common area.

"I'll help you tidy up," Samus offered when Peach began to pick up empty glasses and plates.

"No need." The guardian of the stars went to her room and came back with her star-topped wand. One wave later, there was a flash of light and the room magically became clean. "There."

"That's a handy trick."

"Thank you."

Zelda mumbled something from the sofa, her eyes half closed, and her roommate chuckled, something soft and warm in piercing azure orbs.

"I should take her home. She's dead on her feet."

The bounty hunter bid her hostesses goodnight and left with the brunette, slinging a possessive arm around the shorter woman.

Peach smiled faintly, sitting in the spot the other princess had just vacated. "Those two are really cute together."

Cyan orbs widened, the woman startled by the sudden attempt at being civil. "Ah… Y-yes."

They really were.

* * *

Rosalina started awake, the presence of another setting off little warning flags in her head; her hands burned brightly with celestial light as she struck out at the person—

Only to stop mid-swing as she registered that it was Peach standing next to her bed, cerulean orbs unusually shiny.

She cleared her throat. "Hey…"

The glow faded, plunging them into darkness, and all Rosalina could see was the other girl's silhouette in the dim starlight.

"Hey…"

"Do you mind if I…" Movement, the shake of her head. "Never mind. I'm being silly."

Rosalina reached out and took Peach's hand in hers. "Talk to me."

She inhaled deeply. "I've been rude. I'm sorry." Clearly that wasn't all she had to say and the ash blonde waited patiently until the girl was ready to continue. "I was so upset because I felt as though you were casting me aside… As though you had betrayed me. It was selfish of me and I know that now. The needs of the Galaxy are much more important that my own desires."

"And what do you desire, Peach?" she asked quietly, not daring to breathe.

The princess stared down at her companion for a nerve-wracking moment, her expression unreadable. Then, she whispered, "You, Rose. I want to be with you. I always have."

_Ba-bump._

_/ "Please don't do this, Rose…"_

_Peach was the only one who called her that._

"_It's for the best, my love." She cupped the blonde's cheek, her heart throbbing painfully at the sight of the tears that left twin trails down her cheek. "Please understand. You can't—"/_

"Stay." For now—for as long as she could.

Peach smiled—that warm, dazzling smile that did a better job of dispelling the darkness than the stars themselves—and Rosalina's heart pounded against the inside of her ribcage.

"Okay," she agreed, threading her fingers through her companion's and allowing herself to be pulled down, into the bed.

_I could be the one to set you free. _


End file.
